SceneFourteenth

The same persons, Mme. Mercadet, Julie (entering at one side) and De la Brive (entering at the other side).

Mme. Mercadet
My friend, M. Godeau, feels himself strong enough to see you all.

Mercadet
Come, daughter, wife, Adolphe, and my other friends, gather round me,
look at me.  I know you would not deceive me.

Julie
What is the matter, father?

Mercadet
Tell me (seeing De la Brive come in) Michonnin, tell me frankly—­

De la Brive Luckily for me, sir, I followed the advice of madame—­otherwise you would have had two Godeaus at a time, for heaven has brought back to you the genuine man.

Mercadet
You mean to say then—­that he has really returned!

Verdelin
Do you mean to say that you didn’t know it after all?

Mercadet (recovering himself, standing before the table and touching the notes) I—­of course I did.  Oh, fortune, all hail to thee, queen of monarchs, archduchess of loans, princess of stocks and mother of credit!  All hail!  Thou long sought for, and now for the thousandth time come home to us from the Indies!  Oh!  I’ve always said that Godeau had a mind of tireless energy and an honest heart! (Going up to his wife and daughter) Kiss me!

Mme. Mercadet (in tears)
Ah! dear, dear husband!

Mercadet (supporting her)
And you, what courage you have shown in adversity!

Mme. Mercadet
But I am overcome by the happiness of seeing you saved—­wealthy!

Mercadet But honest!  And yet I must tell you my wife, my children—­I could not have held out much longer—­I was about to succumb—­my mind always on the rack—­always on the defensive—­a giant might have yielded.  There were moments when I longed to flee away—­ Oh!  For some place of repose!  Henceforth let us live in the country.

Mme. Mercadet
But you will soon grow weary of it.

Mercadet No, for I shall be a witness in their happiness. (Pointing to Minard and Julie.) And after all this financial traffic I shall devote myself to agriculture; the study of agriculture will never prove tedious. (To the creditors) Gentlemen, we will continue to be good friends, but will have no more business transactions. (To De la Brive) M. de la Brive, let me pay back to you your forty-eight thousand francs.

De la Brive
Ah! sir—­

Mercadet
And I will lend you ten thousand more.

De la Brive
Ten thousand francs?  But I don’t know when I shall be able—­

Mercadet
You need have no scruples; take them—­for I have a scheme—­

De la Brive
I accept them.

Mercadet
Ah!  It is one of my dreams.  Gentlemen (to the creditors who are
standing in a row) I am a—­creditor!

Mme. Mercadet (pointing to the door)
My dear, he is waiting for us.